Photo/Illutration Sanae Takaichi speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Sept. 25. (Ikuro Aiba)

Days before the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election, candidate Sanae Takaichi said she won't rule out policy discussions with rising right-wing parties, including Sanseito and the Conservative Party of Japan. 

Speaking on a YouTube program hosted by journalist Osamu Sorimachi, Takaichi emphasized the importance of cross-party collaboration in the legislative process.

“If there are policies we can agree on, it’s only natural to work together,” she said in a video released on Sept. 28. “That’s part of our collective responsibility in the Diet.”

Takaichi, 64, appeared on the program amid growing speculation about potential cross-party alliances ahead of the vote that will effectively determine Japan’s next prime minister.

While she refrained from naming specific parties for a formal coalition, she stressed that ideological alignment on key issues should guide cooperation.

“It would be disrespectful to unilaterally declare which party to form a coalition with,” she noted. “But if it helps us to realize the policies we believe in, I’m willing to reach out directly to party leaders.”

Takaichi, a former minister in charge of economic security, is considered the most right-leaning candidate among the five contenders in the upcoming LDP presidential election to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is stepping down as party leader, scheduled for Oct. 4.

Sanseito made significant gains in the July Upper House election, driven by its anti-immigration stance and broader conservative platform.

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